The radio legend has died. One report here. His web site, here, has his photo posted with a concise "Paul Harvey 1918-2009." I've gotten the occasional note from readers asking why he hadn't been heard in some time, but could never get an answer from his publicist. Still, it was evident that the death of his beloved wife last year was devastating.

He was a comforting radio voice, with an easily imitated (and parodied) style, a conservative tilt and a knack for keeping you listening. I could be hooked into "The Rest of the Story" even when I had figured out the subject, just to hear how it was set up. I interviewed him many years ago when he put a record of different audio essays, but I don't remember much about the talk, other than that it was pleasant.

CBS has ordered two more editions of SURVIVOR to be broadcast during the 2009-2010 season. These will mark the 19th and 20th editions of broadcast television's longest-running reality competition series. Jeff Probst, who won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Series, will continue as host.

FOX has ordered two additional seasons of THE SIMPSONS, which will bring the longest-running series in primetime television history through its 22nd season. The 44-episode pickup ensures the series will reach an astounding 493 episodes. THE SIMPSONS airs Sundays (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

"The Amazing Race's" Phil Keoghan will begin a country-wide bicycle trip on March 28 to promote the show and a nutritional product. No word yet if the trip will include Detours and Roadblocks. Full announcement and partial itinerary after the jump.

Well, not tan. But I'm more or less over my post-Oscar/"Good Morning Cleveland" sleep deprivation and have managed to catch almost all the TV I missed last week. Will be posting something later today, as well as any items that look interesting in the email. As for the latest of my forays into TV, you can see my ancient, flabby self in one of the clips here. This was the third of the segments I did for "GMC" on Monday.

Reese Witherspoon presents. Danny Boyle continues "Slumdog Millionaire's" big night, which has yet to include a surprise. Boyle jumps up and down at the podium, saying he promised his children that, if he won, he would act like Tigger from "Winnie the Pooh." Also praises the Oscar show. Also, consulting notes, thanks the people of Mumbai, those who helped and those who didn't.

Back from my break in time to see Eddie Murphy present the Jean Hersholt award to Jerry Lewis. Eddie mispronounces Hersholt, and the camera goes to Jerry's box, where he's not. Clips from his films and material focusing on Lewis's work with MDA. Jerry onstage to get the award. Looking pretty good considering the health problems he's had over the years. He struggles with the speech, but keeps it concise and gracious. Why is Frank Langella not applauding?

Medley of nominated music scores. Oscar orchestra does the music. Zac Efron and Alicia Keys present. Keys is too glamorous for words. Winner: "Slumdog Millionaire." One of the first things I did after seeing the movie was buy the soundtrack. A.R. Rahman takes his time with his acceptance. Keys and Efron stay to intro the best-song nominees. Rahman back onstage to perform. John Legend sings the abbreviated "Down to Earth," which Peter Gabriel declined to do because of the medley decision. And we're back to "Slumdog" and Rahman, for "Jai Ho." Legend joins in.

Jackman does a musical number with "Top Hat," "Singin' in the Rain" -- and then Beyonce joins in on "Top Hat." They join for "You're the One That I Want." Perilously close to "Proud Mary" in concept. More songs: "Lady Marmalade," "You Can't Stop the Beat," whatever, it's a terrible number. Beyonce continues skein of singing "At Last" on shows. Zac and Vanessa offer a brief duet, and on it goes interminably, songs pasted together. Efron does not look comfortable in a top hat. Jackman says it all came from Baz Luhrmann. Eek.

Ben Stiller, in full Joaquin Phoenix beard, with Natalie Portman. Stiller keeps the Phoenix gag going. "I just want to retire from being the funny guy," he says. Mild giggles, but too drawn out. Some audience laughs while Stiller is off camera, then in the shot, wandering over to look at clips on the big screen and other parts of the set. "Tropic Thunder" was much funnier, Ben.

So far, Hugh Jackman is an affable and pleasant host but not exactly exciting.

Sarah Jessica Parker and Daniel Craig with art direction. Winner: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Which is a great looking movie, if not a great movie. (See my previous post for more thoughts on "Button.")

Screenwriting tribute, with a script read by Steve Martin and Tina Fey leading into their presence. Much mocking: Martin notes that a movie may begin "with a good idea for the poster."

Original screenplay presented with scene from nominated films and bits of the script onscreen (with the WALL-E lines referring to "Wally"). Winner: Dustin Lance Black, "Milk." Sean Penn applauds very hard. Thanks the real people who talked to him, Gus Van Sant, Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and more, and then Black gets very emotional and effective about his own life, and being gay, and promises young gays they will soon have equal federal rights. So we've had a terrific moment already.

Well, after a NewsChannel 5 ad, anyway. And ads for Audi, Time Warner Cable, Lincoln (car, not president) and a brief NewsChannel 5 spot. Then the opening announcement of sponsors.

And now, Hugh Jackman. Straightforward comments, then pointing out stars in crowd (Kate Winslet, Robert Downey Jr.) and making a rueful reference to "Australia." Says everything is being downsized because of the recession, so he'll be starring in a movie called "New Zealand." And that there was no budget for a production number -- but he'll do one anyway. Cardboard set, and lyrics about "Slumdog" that make me long for the golden days of Billy Crystal. "Milk," then a shot at the academy for not nominating "Dark Knight," and a kind of funny backdrop for "Benjamin Button." Brings Anne Hathaway on the set to be Nixon in "Frost/Nixon." She's not a bad singer, and does the Nixon two-arm salute with some verve. OK, I like the bit about "I haven't seen 'The Reader.' " But the whole bit is only so-so, rambunctious ovation notwithstanding.

Robin Roberts and Tim Gunn greet us, but hard to hear over the crowd noise. First interview: Kate Winslet. Winslet tells a version of the story she told Seacrest about her possible acceptance speech. Then cut to another fawner, interviewing Josh Brolin and Diane Lane; Brolin, told he's Oscar's good-luck charm, says it's been a great couple of years. Gunn with Amy Adams, who is asked if it's fair to have to wear a nun's habit in "Doubt" while competing against a topless Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler." Sarah Jessica Parker gets asked again about the "Sex and the City" movie. Robin Roberts with Taraji P. Henson. This is like speed-interviewing; I keep expecting someone to hit a bell.

Gunn doesn't really interview Pitt/Jolie but he does take a moment to call them "the most glorious couple on this red carpet."

Well, I just flipped on the TV and there was Ryan Seacrest on E! with the child actors from "Slumdog Millionare." He did not introduce them by name, insisting he could not pronounce them. Instead held up a piece of paper with the names on them. And so my Oscar viewing gets off to a classy start.

At least he pronounced Dev Patel and Freida Pinto. And Anil Kapoor is the early pick for the most entertaining person attending the Oscars.

This year is the 20th anniversary of one of the most notorious Oscar sequences of all time, the production number opening the 1989 telecast with Snow White, Rob Lowe, "Proud Mary" and Merv Griffin, among other things. Here's a replay; the audio is a little out of synch, but the horrifying fun is undiminished.

Fans of the ABC Family cult hit series can revisit the weird world of “The Middleman” and his trusty side-kick Wendy Watson when the series finale episode appears in graphic novel form this summer. The series will also be released on DVD in summer 2009.

Had an appointment this evening, and Friday morning I need to be on the road about 4 a.m. so I can appear on the early-morning show on Channel 5 for some Oscar chats. So it's time for bed. I hope to catch up over the weekend. And will be back online Sunday night for live blogging during the Oscars.

I've tried to do separate postings on movies but the time before the Oscars is short, so I'm going to have to do an extended roundup of three here. Later I expect to post on "The Wrestler" and "The Visitor," two films with best-actor nominees. Notes on the three movies mentioned in the header, after the jump. ...

I have been to three movies in the last two days -- "Benjamin Button," "The Reader" and "Doubt," and I am sure you all can detect the common thread. One showing was a matinee, one an early-evening and one late-evening showing tonight. (I saw "Idol" before the movie but am still in the cone of silence re "Lost.") Total attendance at those movies: 11, three of whom were me. I had the theater all to myself for the late-evening movie.

I know those are all films that have been out for some time, but I also know that the theaters had to be suffering from the plague of the multiplexes -- so many screens to have movies on, so few movies (or moviegoers) to make it worth their while. And I'm not the kind to provide relief at the concession stand: three movies, one bag of popcorn and that popcorn was marked down via a coupon I got with my ticket.

First, a note: I try to be fairly relaxed about comments on the posts since you guys are entitled to your say but I have deleted a couple lately for being way too inappopriate -- not in the opinion but in the way it was expressed. And I will do so whenever I think a line has been crossed. So let's try to have a basically civil discussion, OK?

Last night, as I mentioned, I went to see "The Reader" (which struck me as the weakest of the five best-picture nominees, although the acting is good) so I got home when "Idol" had about half an hour to go. Saw enough to think that Randy is clearly The Most Superfluous Judge right now, that Danny Gokey was OK but obviously got higher praise from all the judges but Simon because he (a) closed the show and "Idol" always tries to end on a high and (b) it was evident from the highlights that much of what preceded him had not been all that good, and that the song choices were in many cases really uninspired. Paula may think a song is impressive if it has been done a zillion times on the show, but if the new performance doesn't stand out, then a redo does not really benefit the singer.

Have been trying to prep for the Oscars Sunday, so part of this afternoon was spent seeing "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and tonight should include "The Reader." (Feel free to suggest anything you think was worth seeing, or worth more nominations than it got. I have seen the other three best-pic nominees.)

Will elaborate on "Button" later, but have already answered the key question from Sepinwall: Is it better than "The Dark Knight" or "WALL-E"? Answer: No. But I am trying to move on. Still, as good as parts of "Button" are, I kept seeing places I would have trimmed it -- if not entire scenes, then at least parts of entire scenes. It was based on a short story, after all.

Sam Donaldson is retiring. Since Jake Tapper is reportedly positioning himself as the new Donaldson or David Gregory, I guess the original Donaldson felt his legacy was established. I crossed paths with Sam a time or two, and can't say I was a fan. He and Cokie Roberts came to Akron in 1998 to host a discussion of media issues and the result, I said at the time, was "spongy." But here's a little Donaldson vignette from the story I wrote at the time:

A general question about the portrayal of African-Americans prompted Donaldson to talk about a specific story ABC had done on welfare -- and whether a tape showing mainly African-Americans at a welfare office should have been used with the story. That was a springboard to a lot of other issues, including why a discussion of African-Americans brought welfare to Donaldson's mind. The audience was engaged, and apparently in some cases angered, by Donaldson's remarks.

As tonight's "Amazing Race" strolled along, I couldn't help but smile. A lot. Still haven't even sorted out the names of all the teams (I know Mike and Mel, at least because I've talked to Mike), but what fun, what fun.

Back in its heyday, "The Carol Burnett Show" was notorious (with me, anyway) for setting up a sketch premise, rolling along with it for a bit and then abruptly and none too satisfyingly ending. It made the whole sketch seem weaker, that it didn't really have anywhere to go, but much would be forgiven because they had been giggles along the way -- especially if Tim Conway was in the middle of things. ...

The first season, which aired on CBS in 1978-79, arrives on April 7. Will be interested to see if there's enough interest to get the 1983-86 Showtime episodes to follow. Here's the announcement:

The critically acclaimed 1978 classic drama series The Paper Chase brought the emotionally and intellectually challenging first year experience at an Ivy League law school and the tough-as-nail professor Charles W. Kingsfield to life. Starring legendary actor John Houseman (NobelHouse, Silverspoon), reprising his Oscar and Golden Globe Award-winning role from the motion picture The Paper Chase, James Stephens (Father Dowling Mysteries, Murder She Wrote), Tom Fitzsimmons (All My Children) and James Keane (7th Heaven), The Paper Chase premiered on CBS in 1978 and received an extraordinary reception from critics and fans alike. The show reran on PBS for a couple of years until Showtime picked it up (with much of the original cast) and continued on for three more seasons.

I was glad to have "Survivor" back (and look forward even more to the return of "The Amazing Race") even though it added to the big steaming pile of viewing that is my Thursday night. That said, the season premiere did not offer much in the way of surprises, and I already fear that there's an excess of strategery in the offing. ...

Rescue Me, FX’s acclaimed series starring Denis Leary, will kick off its 22-episode fifth season on Tuesday, April 7th at 10 p.m. ET/PT, and today the network placed an order for an additional season from Sony Pictures Television, announced FX Networks President and General Manager John Landgraf.

Based on last week's episode of "Lost" (which I belatedly finished this morning) and last night's (ditto), this is the best show on television right now. Or at least the most exciting. Spoilers in abundance after the jump. ...

Had a road trip to Johnstown, Pa., and back today but I am back at HeldenFiles HQ and ready for more "American Idol," or, as I have been thinking about it, "the search for a singer I might care about when we're down to the top 12." The search has been frustrating so far. Notes from watching the show after the jump.

Notes on recent telecasts of "30 Rock," "The Office," "Private Practice," "Grey's Anatomy," "Saturday Night Live," "Bones," "Lie to Me" and "The Closer" after the jump. (I have also seen tonight's "Closer" and will make a brief non-spoiler comment about that.)

The complete release is after the jump. Interesting note: three couples involved in the show. Jewel vs. her husband Ty Murray, Maks and Karina and -- in what looks like an unfair advantage -- Chuck Wicks teamed with girlfriend Julianne Hough. That would seem to allow them extra practice time. But having Wicks may have been a way for the show to get Hough back, since she had indicated she wouldn't take part in this go-round.

Youngest contestant ever: Shawn Johnson, who was in Akron not long ago.Comic relief: Steve-O. Beefcake (and the contestant most needing explanation): Gilles Marini, the guy who lived next door to Samantha in the "Sex and the City" movie. Stretching out the process: "In an exciting new twist, the bottom two couples facing elimination will 'Dance Off' to determine who is dismissed in the first weeks of competition."

I had a couple of days off from my job, but not from everything else in my life, so I have gotten behind on my watch-and-blog routine. I would be happy to discuss Lord Rochester, "Imperfect Enjoyment" and the 1680 editions, if you're so inclined.

But if we're staying with TV, later today, I expect to have some notes about "Lost" (when I finish watching)," "30 Rock" (saw it, hilarious), "The Office" (haven't seen it yet) and "Grey's Anatomy"/"Private Practice," which I watched with some puzzlement because I thought this was the week of THE BIGGEST CROSSOVER EVENT SINCE MOSES AND THE RED SEA. Or whatever it is that ABC is claiming about it. Also, "Bones" and "Lie to Me," which I have watched. And maybe a few words on some books I have been plowing through. Other than Lord Rochester, I mean.

So says GSN, which is presenting the new version in April. I find it hard to believe she will achieve the sort of understated snark that Bob Eubanks had. (Eubanks was a big reason why I liked "Newlywed" better than the blander "Dating" game; about the only fun on the latter was seeing the looks of disappointment from people when they met their dates. But it may be interesting to see the "Goldyweds" segment, with contestants from the old show coming back. Detailed announcement after the jump.

UPDATE: Besides the abbreviated version, NFLN will air Super Bowl XLIII in its entirety on Sunday at 8:30 PM ET. It will include the Bruce Springsteen Halftime Show.

The cable service will offer a dozen different telecasts of its stripped-down replay of the game. The telecasts, which start at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, run 90 minutes with commercials; my guess is that's about 65 minutes of actual football, but I've asked NFL Network to check.

MLB Network will be "the exclusive cable home" for Bob Costas, according to an announcement today; he'll start with a Joe Torre interview airing Thursday. He will continue his broadcast duties on NBC. Full announcement after the jump.

Fans of the movie "Used Cars" -- starring Kurt Russell as Rudy -- will understand my question when they read about porn interrupting the Super Bowl in AZ. And "Used Cars" was set and shot in Arizona ...

It's a big night for fresh television, including a new round of "Heroes" (which lost me during last fall's episodes), a 3-D "Chuck" (tried it with the glasses today, and I'm just not built for 3-D) and the return of "Medium," whose absences always lead to e-mails asking about it. I've posted my column on "Medium" after the jump.

What looked like a so-so game went great in the fourth quarter. Some good ads (Hulu, the NBC "Feelin' Alright" promo) but not a lot. Terrific halftime from Springsteen. Fine National Anthem from Jennifer Hudson. Notes made while watching the game, after the jump ...

Question of the day: How much Super Bowl pre-show is enough for one viewer? I'm thinking an hour.

Frustrated search: Back in 1985, I remember a "New England's Going to the Super Bowl" music video with Robert Urich and other celebs, but I can't find it anywhere online. Unless my memory has completely gone to pieces, it is not the "Skin the Bears" video that is floating around (and has Urich in it); this had a peppier song and far better production values. And speaking of production, I took a look at the old "Super Bowl Shuffle" video by the Bears. Yikes. Time has not been kind.